Israeli, Palestinian negotiators to resume ceasefire talks in Cairo

GAZA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will head for Cairo later on Saturday to resume indirect talks sponsored by Egypt over a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, told Xinhua that members of the Palestinian delegation will successively arrive in Cairo on Saturday to prepare for the ceasefire indirect talks with Israel.

"The ball is at Israel's playground over reaching an agreement, " he said, adding that "the Palestinian factions are ready for any possibility and still stick to their demands and requirements."

The Palestinians want Israel to completely lift around an seven- year Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.

Azzam el-Ahmed, chief of the Palestinian delegation in Cairo, said earlier that the ceasefire indirect talks will officially resume on Sunday and Monday.

The Palestinian delegation "is united to gain back what the Israeli occupation had taken from our people's rights, mainly building up the seaport, the airport and guaranteeing a free travel for all the Palestinians," el-Ahmed said in interview with the official Palestinian television.

On the other hand, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will chair a meeting in Ramallah Saturday night to discuss the details of a permanent ceasefire agreement with Israel. "The delegation will get the instructions from the leadership and gets back to Cairo," el-Ahmad added.

Late Wednesday night, the Palestinian and Israeli delegations in Cairo agreed to a five-day ceasefire for their ongoing conflict in Gaza, which was the third time for Egypt, after intensified indirect talks in Cairo, to broker a ceasefire between the armed Palestinian movement Hamas and Israel since the Israeli offensive on Gaza started on July 8.

So far, about 1,980 Palestinians were killed and more than 10, 200 wounded, while Hamas attacks killed 64 Israeli soldiers and three civilians.